Sofia Shinas
Sofia Shinas | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 17, 1968 Windsor, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Pop Dance |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, actress, director |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Labels | Warner (1992) |
Sofia Shinas (born January 17, 1968) is a Greek Canadian[1] singer, songwriter, actress and director.[2]
Shinas entered the entertainment industry as a recording artist and later pursued acting. After graduating from film school, she became a film director. She is best known for her role as Eric Draven's murdered fiancée, Shelly, in The Crow starring opposite Brandon Lee.[2]
Career
[edit]Recording artist
[edit]In 1992, Shinas released her eponymously titled debut album on Warner Bros. Records. She co-wrote every song and worked with various producers and remixers, including Steve Peck, Daniel Abraham (record producer), Mitch Kaplan, Mark 'MK' Kinchen, Roger Sanchez, Tommy Musto, Ben Grosse and Boris Granich.[3]
Her first single, "The Message", reached No. 20 on Billboard's Dance/Club Play chart and was a crossover pop hit, peaking at No. 75 on the Hot 100 chart. Her second single, "One Last Kiss", didn't chart in the US, but became a minor hit in her native Canada. Her last single, "State of Mind", peaked at No. 16 on the Dance/Club Play chart.[4] She received a Juno Award nomination for Most Promising Female Vocalist at the Juno Awards of 1993.[5]
Shinas left the music business to pursue a career as actor and director.[2] She has not released another album.
Film actress
[edit]Shinas made her film debut in the 1994 action thriller The Crow, starring Brandon Lee. The box office hit has become a cult favorite.[6] Shinas then landed a role opposite Charlie Sheen and Nastassja Kinski in Terminal Velocity.
She starred alongside C. Thomas Howell in the independent action/drama, Hourglass and in the 1997 action film, Dilemma.
Television actress
[edit]Shinas appeared in two episodes of the TV series The Outer Limits (in the "Valerie 23" and "Mary 25" episodes) and an episode of The Hunger.
Film director
[edit]Shinas's first feature as director was the thriller, My Stepdaughter, released in August 2015.
Education
[edit]In 2008, Shinas graduated from the USC School of Cinema-Television in Los Angeles, California where she directed a film titled Spring Eternal as a thesis project.[7]
Personal life
[edit]Fluent in English, Hebrew, and Greek, the director often travels between her Hollywood home and her Canadian hometown.
Shinas is an avid supporter of welfare and conservation organizations dedicated to helping endangered species. She is particularly interested in big cats and has worked with tigers in human care.
Filmography
[edit]| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1994 | The Crow | Shelly Webster | |
| Terminal Velocity | Maxine 'Broken Legs Max' | ||
| 1995 | Hourglass | Dara Jensen | |
| 1996 | Ripper Man | Gena | |
| Dilemma | Lydia Cantrell | ||
| 1997 | Hostile Intent | Gina | Alternative title: Lethal Games |
| 2000 | Red Shoe Diaries 12: Girl on a Bike | Woman On Train | Segment: "Borders of Salt" |
| 2004 | Planet of the Pitts | Fay Kennedy, NBC News Anchor | |
| 2015 | My Stepdaughter | Directorial debut | |
| 2016 | DaZe: Vol. Too (sic) – NonSeNse | Rosabel | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1994 | Red Shoe Diaries | Woman On Train | 1 episode |
| 1994 | Blue Skies | Gina | 1 episode |
| 1998 | The Hunger | Claire | 1 episode |
| 1995–1998 | The Outer Limits | Mary 25 / Valerie 23 | 2 episodes |
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]- 1992: Sofia Shinas
Singles
[edit]- 1992: "The Message"
- 1992: "One Last Kiss"
- 1992: "State of Mind (You Make Me Feel Good)"
References
[edit]- ^ Appleford, Steve (November 1, 1992). "Debut Album Presents Sofia Shinas Reconnected With Her Funky Soul". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ a b c "Dream comes true for Shinas". Windsor Star, May 28, 1994.
- ^ "Sofia Shinas: Album credits". allmusic.com. Retrieved September 25, 2008.
- ^ "Sofia Shinas Chart History". allmusic.com. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
- ^ "Celine Dion sweeps Juno nominations". Ottawa Citizen, February 10, 1993.
- ^ McDonnell, Jen (July 17, 2008). "The Show Must Go On". The Montreal Gazette. Archived from the original on August 17, 2008. Retrieved September 25, 2008.
- ^ Ishizuka, LiAnn (May 16, 2008). "Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival 2008: Seasons of Love short films". Asia Pacific Arts. Retrieved September 25, 2008.
External links
[edit]- Sofia Shinas at IMDb
- Sofia Shinas discography at Discogs
- Sofia Shinas at AllMusic
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
- 1968 births
- Living people
- Musicians from Windsor, Ontario
- Canadian dance musicians
- Actresses from Windsor, Ontario
- Canadian television actresses
- Canadian film actresses
- USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni
- Canadian people of Greek descent
- Film directors from Ontario
- Canadian women film directors
- Warner Records artists
- 21st-century Canadian women singers